Author's Note: If you people don't like my story, you could at least tell
me! It hurts when no one reviews a chapter that I worked hard on.
I waited patiently for Shade to arrive at my office. I was the Shadow Master's Second, so I had quite a few perks, including the office. I kept it bare of all decorations. The only pieces of furniture were two chairs, deprived of their cushions, and a large desk, lit by a magic sphere of light. I liked its Spartan look for there were no distractions, such as one of those foolish lava lamps, which would keep my 'guests' from engaging in intelligent conversation with me. The walls of my office were bare and had large windows. At the moment, I was staring at the planet Sarago, a lush green jungle plant home to the peace-loving Saragonians.
I heard the door squeak open. Without turning, I greeted my guest. "Have a seat, Shade." I turned and had to bite my tongue to keep myself from shouting. Instead of my friend and advisor, I saw an old woman, dressed in rags and missing most of her teeth and hair.
"No need to be so shocked Nemesis," she croaked. "I have what you most desire."
"I don't desire anything. I just want to serve the Shadow Master and destroy the rebels."
She laughed. It was more of a cackle than a laugh. "What about knowledge? What about your past?"
"Woman," I cried in anger, "you know not of which you speak! I am older than you will ever be! I have lived over 5,000 years! Don't try to speak to me of the past!"
"You know only what you were told. Remember when you were younger than a century, not even two decades in age? I can tell you of your lineage!" I stared. This woman was offering me knowledge of who I was.
"What's the point? They have been dead for millennia!"
"You can correct a grave mistake that you made when you were 1,032 years."
"That was when I conquered the Earth, the crown jewel of the Shadow Master's empire."
"Also the most unruly. Do you wish to know what I have to offer?"
I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. Sighing, I opened my eyes. "Tell me."
"First you must do something for me."
"WHAT!?!"
"It wouldn't be fair to me to give you valuable information for free."
"What do you want?" I asked sullenly.
"Make me youthful again." I raised an eyebrow. "I think that your companion is cute." She giggled while I stared at her with an expression of bafflement.
"Alright," I said with an uneasy heart. After all, I was allowing a hag to pursue my friend who probably would not like it. "It'll take me a few hours to cast the spell but its effects will be instantaneous."
"Fine with me. You'll get your information when I get my youth." At that, she vanished from my office with a poof.
Shaking my head, I used a little magic to summon a book of spells from my office and started to look for a spell to make one younger. I found the spell with little difficulty and started to collect the ingredients when the door to my office squeaked open again.
"I've got to get that fixed," I muttered under my breath. "What do you want?" I said louder.
"That's not very polite, milady. What's cooking?" I turned to glare at the intruder.
"Shade, you pink baboon! It's about time you got here!"
"I was held up by the Shadow Master. By the time I was released, the officer's lounge was closed and I had to bully the cook into letting me eat in the kitchen."
"Yes, you couldn't stand even the smallest of messes from me, even when I was a child."
"Yes," Shade said with a sad look in his eye. Shaking his head, he asked, "What are you doing with all this? I'm not sure what you can do with unicorn hair, tortoise eggshell, snake fingernails, and whatever that pink stuff is."
"The pink stuff is essence of phoenix feather. I'm making a youth spell. All I need is a hair of the one I'm going to cast it on…Oh drat, I don't think I can get that. Maybe she left one on the floor. Shade, help me look for a hair."
"Might I ask why?"
"No. Just look!"
Shade and I searched the floor for a hair from the almost bald lady that had graced my office earlier. I couldn't find a hair anywhere! My floor was absolutely spotless and there wasn't a hair in sight.
"I don't think there is any hair on the floor, Nemesis," Shade said.
"Thank you for stating the obvious." I glared at Shade. He shrunk back with a look of fear in his eyes. I stared at him; he was acting like a frightened mouse. He looked so silly that I started to giggle. My laughter caused him to relax and lose the frightened mouse look. "Where did you pick that up, Shade? You looked ridiculous!"
"I picked up while watching Malady's latest crush. He doesn't appreciate her advances and hopes that acting like that would get her to leave him alone."
"Man! No wonder she was having second thoughts about idolizing him! He'd make a better jester."
"I'm curious. Why did you want a hair?"
"I might as well tell you. She promised me information about my past. She said that I could…" I paused. I wasn't sure if I should tell Shade.
"She said you could what?" Shade's voice became harder as he assumed the role of my protective guardian.
"Nothing. Forget I said anything," I mumbled.
"I want to know the moment she shows up again. You understand?"
"Yes sir."
With that said Shade stalked from the room. Shade rarely scared me and this was one of those times. My relationship with him was awkward at the best of times, with Shade being the man who raised me and being my partner and subordinate. I sighed and sat down in my chair. I stared idly at my desk and saw a long, silvery hair.
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I waited patiently for Shade to arrive at my office. I was the Shadow Master's Second, so I had quite a few perks, including the office. I kept it bare of all decorations. The only pieces of furniture were two chairs, deprived of their cushions, and a large desk, lit by a magic sphere of light. I liked its Spartan look for there were no distractions, such as one of those foolish lava lamps, which would keep my 'guests' from engaging in intelligent conversation with me. The walls of my office were bare and had large windows. At the moment, I was staring at the planet Sarago, a lush green jungle plant home to the peace-loving Saragonians.
I heard the door squeak open. Without turning, I greeted my guest. "Have a seat, Shade." I turned and had to bite my tongue to keep myself from shouting. Instead of my friend and advisor, I saw an old woman, dressed in rags and missing most of her teeth and hair.
"No need to be so shocked Nemesis," she croaked. "I have what you most desire."
"I don't desire anything. I just want to serve the Shadow Master and destroy the rebels."
She laughed. It was more of a cackle than a laugh. "What about knowledge? What about your past?"
"Woman," I cried in anger, "you know not of which you speak! I am older than you will ever be! I have lived over 5,000 years! Don't try to speak to me of the past!"
"You know only what you were told. Remember when you were younger than a century, not even two decades in age? I can tell you of your lineage!" I stared. This woman was offering me knowledge of who I was.
"What's the point? They have been dead for millennia!"
"You can correct a grave mistake that you made when you were 1,032 years."
"That was when I conquered the Earth, the crown jewel of the Shadow Master's empire."
"Also the most unruly. Do you wish to know what I have to offer?"
I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. Sighing, I opened my eyes. "Tell me."
"First you must do something for me."
"WHAT!?!"
"It wouldn't be fair to me to give you valuable information for free."
"What do you want?" I asked sullenly.
"Make me youthful again." I raised an eyebrow. "I think that your companion is cute." She giggled while I stared at her with an expression of bafflement.
"Alright," I said with an uneasy heart. After all, I was allowing a hag to pursue my friend who probably would not like it. "It'll take me a few hours to cast the spell but its effects will be instantaneous."
"Fine with me. You'll get your information when I get my youth." At that, she vanished from my office with a poof.
Shaking my head, I used a little magic to summon a book of spells from my office and started to look for a spell to make one younger. I found the spell with little difficulty and started to collect the ingredients when the door to my office squeaked open again.
"I've got to get that fixed," I muttered under my breath. "What do you want?" I said louder.
"That's not very polite, milady. What's cooking?" I turned to glare at the intruder.
"Shade, you pink baboon! It's about time you got here!"
"I was held up by the Shadow Master. By the time I was released, the officer's lounge was closed and I had to bully the cook into letting me eat in the kitchen."
"Yes, you couldn't stand even the smallest of messes from me, even when I was a child."
"Yes," Shade said with a sad look in his eye. Shaking his head, he asked, "What are you doing with all this? I'm not sure what you can do with unicorn hair, tortoise eggshell, snake fingernails, and whatever that pink stuff is."
"The pink stuff is essence of phoenix feather. I'm making a youth spell. All I need is a hair of the one I'm going to cast it on…Oh drat, I don't think I can get that. Maybe she left one on the floor. Shade, help me look for a hair."
"Might I ask why?"
"No. Just look!"
Shade and I searched the floor for a hair from the almost bald lady that had graced my office earlier. I couldn't find a hair anywhere! My floor was absolutely spotless and there wasn't a hair in sight.
"I don't think there is any hair on the floor, Nemesis," Shade said.
"Thank you for stating the obvious." I glared at Shade. He shrunk back with a look of fear in his eyes. I stared at him; he was acting like a frightened mouse. He looked so silly that I started to giggle. My laughter caused him to relax and lose the frightened mouse look. "Where did you pick that up, Shade? You looked ridiculous!"
"I picked up while watching Malady's latest crush. He doesn't appreciate her advances and hopes that acting like that would get her to leave him alone."
"Man! No wonder she was having second thoughts about idolizing him! He'd make a better jester."
"I'm curious. Why did you want a hair?"
"I might as well tell you. She promised me information about my past. She said that I could…" I paused. I wasn't sure if I should tell Shade.
"She said you could what?" Shade's voice became harder as he assumed the role of my protective guardian.
"Nothing. Forget I said anything," I mumbled.
"I want to know the moment she shows up again. You understand?"
"Yes sir."
With that said Shade stalked from the room. Shade rarely scared me and this was one of those times. My relationship with him was awkward at the best of times, with Shade being the man who raised me and being my partner and subordinate. I sighed and sat down in my chair. I stared idly at my desk and saw a long, silvery hair.
Read and REVIEW!!!!